Cheltenham beats the cold

The New Year's Day meetings at Cheltenham and Fakenham have both been passed fit for action, though frost has wiped out Catterick.

With temperatures dropping below freezing across the country, racing looked set to suffer at the start of 2009.

Cheltenham had taken the precaution of covering the track earlier in the week and their actions paid off when they passed a morning inspection.

"Racing goes ahead as scheduled," Cheltenham's Andy Clifton said.

"The temperature dropped to minus two overnight but there are no problems and the ground is good to soft.

"We didn't have the luckiest of years in 2008 with the weather but it's nice to get 2009 off to a good start."

Fakenham survives

Fakenham has also been given the go-ahead after an early look found the track in good condition.

Clerk of the course David Hunter had been concerned by threat of frost but

temperatures did not drop much below freezing overnight.

"It was absolutely as forecast, we were predicted between zero and minus one and it hovered around that mark," He said.

"The little bit of crustiness that was there has gone and we are forecast an overcast day with no wind and temperatures of plus two.

"The advice would have to be to wrap up warm but come and enjoy a good day's racing."

The afternoon's action at Exeter has also been given the go ahead but Catterick's fell victim to overnight frost, failing an 8am inspection.

"We got down to minus four overnight and we are still below freezing now," Clerk of the course Fiona Needham said.

"We are not forecast to get above freezing until 2pm so we have had to abandon."